BatIM Steps of the Survivor

Chapter Three

Joey and Jade walked through the halls, which Jade found to be unfamiliar, but she figured because this was where Sammy had taken her when she was knocked out various posters were strewn about the walls and pipes lingered above them, occasionally dripping ink down to puddles on the floor. Jade felt cautiously on edge to keep her still unbandaged injuries away from the dark liquid. The question of where she had been was answered when they came upon the room she had been sacrificed in. She shuddered as the memories were pushed front and center, her left arm, leg, and back scar now aching slightly. These were the only healed injuries she had, and it was thanks to Boris they were that way. Boris. . .

The two calmly walked forward through the gate, which had been left open, and past the Ink Machines' shaft. It didn't move, so she could see the shadow of the machine looming above them. After this, they got to the crossway that she had seen Inky during Trial Two, both ways being clear now. Joey lead her to the left, which she followed. It felt very strange to walk through the halls so calmly when she remembered them slowly flooding with ink, running with her open leg injury and the demon right behind her. Just to double check, she took a look, even if she could sense no presence around at that time. However. . . now that she was paying attention to it, she could tell three were coming toward them, three she hadn't sensed in the studio before. It made her anxious to think of who it could be, and not wanting to find out who it was, she picked up pace a bit. Being close to one crazy person was better than being outnumbered by four. . . whatever was there.

The Trio rounds the corner behind them, Tyler in the lead. They jog up to her and Joey, not making much noise, and now it was four on one. To say Jade was a little spooked was a bit of an understatement, the trio having revealed themselves to be the three presences tailing them.

"Ah, there you three are." Joey said with a slight note of excitement in his tone.

"Sorry we couldn't get here faster. Trysten was taking forever," Sasha said.

"I was not! That was you," Trysten mumbled in reply.

"How did you three know to come here?" Jade asked, trying and failing to keep fear from her voice. They had been at Joey's home the last time she saw them.

"He sent a message through The Illusion of Living." Tyler said unenthusiastically.

To Jade's questioning look, Joey showed the book itself, complete with a red ribbon bookmark in the middle of its pages. "Do you not believe in magic?" Joey's voice was almost taunting.

"Look around. Bendy is from the Ink Machine, as is Alice, Boris and the Butcher Gang. They come back to life through the Ink Machine because of magic. Bendy's ink web and heartbeat aura is from magic as well." Sasha explained impatiently, as if she was talking to someone who should know it by the current moment.

"Sasha, you missed a slight detail. Boris himself doesn't come back, rather, he is replaced." Joey punctuated himself with a chilling chuckle and a smirk.

Jade was a little more than surprised to learn that magic did indeed exist. She had always been told magic was the stuff of childhood fantasies, not deadly, horrifying nightmares. She had also been disheartened to know now that, even through magic, she wasn't getting her friend back.

"Oh yeah, to make him a little better every time. Keep Alice wanting the newer and better Boris."

"You really are heartless." Jade muttered with a glare. 'Heartless' was not a term Jade used lightly, she had hardly even used it to describe anyone before. But Joey. . . he fit that description well.

For a split second, Trysten looked sad at being called this. But in the time it took to blink, Trysten was back to herself, leading Jade to wonder if she had wanted a friendly face here so much she had imagined it. Jade shook her head. I must be imagining things. . .